Avatar: The Way of Water (2022) was released thirteen years after the original Avatar (2009), which in Hollywood is a highly unusual gap that practically equals a lifetime. Most film companies do frequent releases of sequels to stay relevant and maintain audience loyalty, as due to long gaps, most films tend to lose their significance in the industry, which mostly spirals from boredom or forgetting the film in general. Yet not only did Avatar 2 succeed, but it also became one of the highest-growth films. How did a film from 2009 manage to stay relevant? The secret behind this is a strategically planned long-term brand loyalty built from the first movie, clever marketing and audience trying to relive their nostalgia once again.

One of the tactics used to keep the movie's relevance was nostalgia. The Avatar movie engraved an emotional memory within the audience. It contained aspects of fantasy - such as complex worlds that have stories built in them which the viewers could create an emotional bond with characters and the environment. Instead of remaking the whole movie, the sequel of Avatar 2 has just continued the story further, expanded the plot and themes, furthermore brought back familiar characters such as Jake Sully and Neytiri. This strategy made fans think that they weren’t just watching a simple continuation movie, they were watching a return to the world they have missed.

However, nostalgia wasn’t the only factor of such success seen by the second movie. Avatar has built its entire brand and visual identity on innovations from the beginning. The first film has become the main topic in the film industry for 3D filmmaking and the usage of motion capture technology. Avatar is mostly 70% computer generated, which in some cases could be interpreted as an animated film, and in 2009 this was counted as pretty impressive which easily attracted and engaged more fans. Over time, Avatar has evolved into more than just a movie with a story, it became a symbol of cinematic progress. For over a decade, James Cameron kept the public wrapped around his finger by promising that the sequel would further push and upgrade the technology with underwater motion and capture unusual visual effects, therefore the demand was generated quickly as fans didn’t just expect a simple movie, they expected a visual revolution which that anticipation alone has automatically preserved a long term interest from the audience.

The franchise has also stayed present in global culture despite not releasing any sequels for more than a decade. Disney World has played a huge role in helping to achieve this presence through the theme park attractions such as “Pandora - the world of Avatar.” These themed environments would allow fans to further expand on their emotional bond created with the environment of the movie while watching it. It gives them a full experience of “Pandora”; therefore, this allowed the movie to slowly expand from a screen to a real-life experience, giving people many reasons to still care even after a decade.

In conclusion, Avatar 2 has proved the traditional franchise logic wrong, as instead of releasing frequent sequels to stay relevant, it built a long-term identity that connected with the people through emotional, cultural and technological strategies. This allowed more people to wait; therefore, the thirteen-year gap between the two sequels didn’t affect the brand, yet it strengthened and generated more demand over the years.

Sources:
https://www.nyfa.edu/student-resources/best-cinematography-many-looks-avatar/
https://www.nyfa.edu/student-resources/best-cinematography-many-looks-avatar/
https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/attractions/animal-kingdom/avatar-flight-of-passage/